We analyze the dramatic decline of the employment share of unskilled labor in the West German economy, in particular its relation to the relatively rigid earnings structure. We find that the substitution elasticity between unskilled and skilled labor is rather low in most sectors of the economy....

Data on tool use from O*Net’s Tools and Technologies Supplement can, in conjunction with task-based measures, provide a new proxy for measuring and distinguishing general and specific skills at the occupational level. The tools and types of tools used in an occupation generate reasonable...

We analyze the dramatic decline of the employment share of unskilled labor in the West German economy, in particular its relation to the relatively rigid earnings structure. We find that the substitution elasticity between unskilled and skilled labor is rather low in most sectors of the economy....